B.C. agriculture minister’s stepson dies of accidental overdose

In another sign of how the drug crisis facing B.C. can affect any family, the province’s minister of agriculture says her stepson has lost his life to an accidental overdose.

In an emotional Facebook post, Lana Popham, MLA for Saanich South, shared the death of 23-year-old Dan Sealy.

“Those who were lucky enough to know him will remember the funny, caring, smart, talented and special person that he was but may not know about the struggles he faced over the past few years with mental health and addiction,” Popham wrote.

“He was taken from us far too soon by accidental overdose before he got to fulfill his dream of being a physics teacher.”

Popham said the family will not hold a formal service, due to the fact Sealy himself did not like funerals.

However, the family has started a fundraiser in his honour, with proceeds to be donated to other people facing mental health and addiction challenges.

By Saturday afternoon, the fundraiser had raised more than $6,000, exceeding its $2,000 goal.

The latest statistics from the BC Coroners Service show that 1,143 people have died of suspected illicit drug overdoses in the first nine months of 2018.